The Pies are in fifth, just a game-and-a-half behind Sydney, which they beat by 29 points in round 14 to extend their winning run against the side from the harbour city to five.
Collingwood assistant coach Blake Caracella said the Pies run at the top four was already underway.
"No doubt – I think it started last week, being 10 points behind Sydney sitting fourth," he said.
"To go well in the finals, you really need to finish top four, and we're only six points behind, now.
"There's no point winning last week, and then losing this week against the Crows, so if we win this week, we can try and chase down Sydney who are six points in front."
But while the top four is a long-term goal, Caracella said the side couldn't afford to think about it in terms of each match.
"It may be in the back of your mind, but I think each week … I know it's a cliché, but each week you go about trying to win this week.
"It's such a close competition, if you take your mind off this week, and look too far in front, then you don't perform as well as you need to win this week.
"It's a big game this week, and we need to win."
The Pies have won five of their last seven, although just one of their last three, while Adelaide has lost their last three.
Caracella said lessons learned in round nine, when the Pies smashed Geelong by 86 points, would be the template for this weekend's gameplan.
"Three losses in a row doesn't do the confidence much good, but at the same time, they've been a fantastic team, well coached, for the last three or four or five years.
"They've finished in the top four a few times there, and really they play a very similar game to Geelong, so hopefully the tactics we used then, we can use against the Crows as well."
